


Instinct - (Siren Cash Story)

by rainoverthemountains



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dragon Twist, Forest Spirit Papyrus, Hurt/Comfort, I don't know what else to say about it, Instinctual behavior, M/M, Multi, Not a kid fic, Sex demon Rus, Vampire Edge, but no baby sirens were harmed in the making of this fic, but not a smut fic, cross-species biology clash, cross-species culture clash, heat-related dubcon, rain's first attempt at smut, siren cash, tagging and warning suggestions welcome, unconventional heat fic, unconventional m-preg fic, werewolf pup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:34:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainoverthemountains/pseuds/rainoverthemountains
Summary: Sirens are stubborn. Aggressive. Solitary. Entirely unfamiliar with the concept of familial bonds, and entirely uninterested in the existence or wellbeing of other creatures. It's not a flaw, it’s just how they are, but it doesn’t do much to promote the continuation of the species.Biology is highly invested in the continuation of species. Biology can deal with stubborn sirens. It knows just how to optimize a reproductive process – the timing, the allowable variation, the cooperation of participants. In some species, it’s easy – family structures, fondness for offspring, an instinctual nudge or two, a limited capacity for higher order thinking. There's room for flexibility in those species. But with sirens, stubborn, solitary, highly intelligent sirens, biology takes a firmer hand.Siren reproduction is entirely directed by instinct – very powerful, highly inflexible instinct. It's perfectly optimized, from the timing of gene activation to subconscious, undeniable instinctual drives. Sirens don't mind – biology has integrated itself quite seamlessly into their lives. Cash has certainly never cared. But then, Cash hasn't realized quite how much his life has changed… or how slowly millennia-old biology adapts.
Relationships: Cash/Pup/Twist/Edge/Rus, Cash/unnamed siren, Papyrus/Papyrus (Undertale), Papyrus/Papyrus/Papyrus/Papyrus/Papyrus
Comments: 22
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Atypical](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13328208) by [Lady_Kit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Kit/pseuds/Lady_Kit). 



> Set in Lady Kit’s Atypical verse, in which quite a few AU Papyri are mythical creatures who live together in a house in a forest. (That doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Go read it before you even consider reading this silly thing.) From here on out, I will assume you’re familiar with the Atypical verse, or that you enjoy incorporating a lot of guessing into your literary entertainment.
> 
> This story came out of the idea that siren reproduction has more in common with fish than with humans. Specifically, from Kit’s long-ago explanation of Cash probably having kids somewhere out in the ocean but not caring one bit that they exist because his species just doesn’t do parental instincts. My brain ran with that and went ‘ooh, a species that’s intelligent enough to fully understand the mechanics of reproduction but is completely indifferent to it, interesting! (Bet I can make this hurt him)’.
> 
> What followed was a tale of whump, unexpected cross-species cultural differences, biology gone awry by doing exactly what it’s supposed to do but picking a very bad time to do it, snuggly skeletons, hurt/comfort, and some occasional major weirdness, sometimes of the horror type, because biology is weird, and cross-species biology is weirder. 
> 
> (Also, rainoverthemountains tries writing a bit of smut. That’s the weirdest part of all.)
> 
> (Also also, if you’re looking for a kid fic, this is not your place. No baby sirens were harmed in the making of this story, but the purpose of reproductive processes is almost incidental.)

Smiling, Pup snuggles up against Cash. The siren has been unusually clingy tonight, going so far as to drag Pup off with him to Pup’s bed instead of returning to his pool or staying with the others, much to Rus’s consternation. Edge and Twist must have successfully distracted Rus, because Pup has now spent hours happily wrapped in the embrace of a very affectionate siren without any suspicious sex demons breaking in to separate them.

Cash’s bones line up so nicely with Pup’s, as does the powerful tail wrapped around them both. At Cash’s insistence, Pup’s clothes and Cash’s wrap are both long since discarded in a pile on the floor. They haven’t done anything except snuggle, but it’s been some very insistent snuggling, with Cash pulling Pup over to lay mostly on top of him quite a while ago and not moving since then. As nice as the snuggling is, Pup wouldn’t mind taking things a little further – and judging by whatever just popped into existence between Cash’s legs, he wouldn’t mind, either.

“wanna do something with that?” Pup teases, brushing his leg against it. Cash gasps, pushing hard into the pressure – with something that doesn’t feel much like one of the usual two options. Pup smiles. It’s not often Cash wants to play like that.

“what have you got down there?” The siren grabs his hand and pulls it down for a personal inspection of what’s clearly his rarely-seen cloaca. Pup laughs. “okay, okay, i get it, enough talking. i take it you’ve got some better ideas?”

Cash does have some better ideas, and so does Pup. A tentative brush of a finger against the opening has Cash gasping. A finger inside earns Pup a voiceless screech. “is this okay?” Cash has never reacted quite like this before, especially not to using his cloaca. He and Twist both insist they’re just not usually that sensitive, which is why they never use them. But Cash is going insane, pressing Pup’s finger in as far as it will go. “cash?”

‘more,’ Cash manages to sign, before crushing Pup against his ribcage.

“more?” Pup asks, wanting to be sure he’s picking up on the right cues. On the one hand, it seems pretty obvious, but this is all moving really fast, and getting Cash this worked up usually takes more effort – and why the sudden desire to use his cloaca? Since learning how cocks work, Cash has gotten quite fond of using his own.

Cash grabbing Pup’s pubic symphysis provides some pretty clear clarification. Well, no need to ask Pup twice. Getting hard takes no time at all with Cash writhing against him, and if he had any more doubts about where this is going, Cash wipes them out pretty quickly by grabbing Pup’s cock and shoving it inside him. Holy fuck.

That one takes a minute to get over. Cash is still silently keening when Pup comes back around from suddenly having his cock shoved inside a tight, warm opening. Thinking Cash might need a minute to get control of himself, Pup freezes, but Cash has other plans. The feeling of his pelvis being lifted up a few inches and dropped back down into Cash’s opening is more than a little stunning, but it gets the message across, so Pup starts to move. He probably should spare a few thoughts for what the hell is going on with Cash, but, well… their current activities are a little bit distracting.

They keep going for quite a while. Pup finishes easily the first time, and a few times after that – Cash in this state is possibly the hottest thing he’s ever seen, so it isn’t exactly a challenge – but eventually he gets tired. Stopping is starting to sound really good right about now, but Cash still hasn’t finished. “cash?” But Cash just wraps his arms tighter around Pup’s back, thrusting as much as he can from below.

Pup keeps it up for one more round, but then he’s done. He’s really done. “cash? i’ve gotta take a break.” Cash just grinds against him, not even acknowledging that he’s heard him.

“cash. hey, cash! listen. i want to stop now.” But Cash just clings tighter, resuming the thrusting motion between them. What the hell? Cash wouldn’t just ignore Pup telling him to stop. That’s not something he’d do. “cash!” Pup snaps, trying to squirm away from the arms surrounding him. “i’m done. let go.” Cash just clings tighter. “let me go! this doesn’t feel good anymore. i’m done!”

Cash hisses when Pup tries to get away from him. What the fuck is happening?

“There a problem in here?” Twist’s very welcome voice comes from the door. Cash turns and hisses at him, but that just earns a growl from Twist. “Nuh uh. None’a that, sweetheart. Pretty sure yer in heat and stoppin’ feels like shit right about now, but ya can’t be actin’ like that. Lookit Pup. Yer scarin’ him.”

Cash does look at Pup, frowning in confusion… then his socket widens in horror and he scrambles out from under him, nearly sending Pup off the side of the bed. Too surprised to catch himself, Pup almost hits the floor, but fortunately Twist is close enough to save him from a very undignified landing. More undignified that he already is, that is. Nothing like being thrown off one of your boyfriends in the middle of sex and then caught by another one to really make a guy feel like he’s got his shit together.

“thanks.”

Twist scoops Pup up and sits them both on the bed, holding Pup protectively in his lap. “No problem, sweetheart. You doin’ alright?”

Talking doesn’t want to work too well yet, so Pup switches to sign. ‘yeah, i’m okay. we were having fun; he just wouldn’t stop. what’s going on?’

They both look at Cash, who has curled himself up into the tiniest possible ball in the farthest corner of the room. Twist’s stern look melts into one of sympathy. “Heat – or I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. Smells diff’rent in diff’rent species, but it sure smells like somethin’ in here, and he’s actin’ like he’s in heat. Ain’tcha, sweetheart?”

Cash whimpers, not much more than a tight rush of air from him, but they both know how to recognize his voiceless sounds by now. His cloaca is still manifested, the glow faintly visible through the tangle of bones and protective tail. He looks utterly miserable.

“cash?” Pup asks, finding his voice working better than a minute ago, which is good, because it’s hard to sign to someone with their face buried in their knees.

Cash just signs, “sorry,” and curls into a tighter ball.

“it’s okay,” Pup tries, not really sure what to do, “i don’t think you meant to do it, and i’m not hurt. is twist right? are you in heat?”

Cash nods, not saying anything else. Twist doesn’t ask anything else, either, like they both think that’s that, but Pup thinks he’s entitled to a little more information after what just happened. “i really don’t know anything about heat. can you tell me about it?”

Cash raises his hands as if to sign, looks at them, then lowers them again, shrugging, which probably means he doesn’t know the words, or maybe that he can’t think well enough to put them together right now. Pup understands; he’s not terribly inclined to keep putting words together, either, and he’s not restricted to a language that he’s still trying to learn.

Possibly realizing that he hasn’t been terribly informative, Twist tries to fill in what he can. “Dunno much 'bout sirens, but if they’re anything like dragons, he really needs ta get off right now.”

Pup arches a brow-bone. “tried that.”

Twist snorts. “Yeah, guess ya did. Problem is, I’m not sure he can with you.”

Pup’s brow-bone arches higher. “never been a problem before.”

Twist waves off his skepticism. “Yeah, but heat’s different – least if sirens ‘re like dragons. Hey, Cash, are sirens like dragons?”

‘give or take some brains and too big wings,’ Cash manages to sign, because of course he remembers how to insult Twist when he can’t think of the words for anything else.

“Yep, ‘cause yer skull’s just full a those,” Twist chuckles. “But what I mean is, are our heats the same? Do ya need another siren fer yours?”

Cash nods.

“Is that like _need_ need, or does it just make it go better?”

‘need,’ Cash signs. ‘eggs.’ He waves at his lower abdomen.

Pup gasps. “eggs? as in, you could get pregnant?”

Cash shrugs.

Woah. That’s as good as a yes. Not that monsters of either gender doing that is unheard of, but _Cash?_ He doesn’t seem like the parenting type. He’s not acting like this is anything new, either. “have you had… eggs? before?”

Cash nods, looking surprisingly uninvested in that answer, considering what it is.

“wait, does that mean you have kids out there somewhere?”

Cash shrugs. He doesn’t know if he has kids?

“how do you not know?” Pup asks. Maybe that’s not the most sensitive way to ask it, but Cash has kids? And Cash doesn’t know if he has kids? What?

‘why would i?’ Cash signs.

“because… don’t people usually know that? i mean, i guess not everyone, but i’d think the person who… laid the eggs? would usually know.” Maybe Pup should shut up now. For all he knows, he’s walking right into a very sensitive topic, but Cash sure isn’t acting like it. Pup might as well be asking how Rus ties his shoelaces, for all Cash seems to care.

“Pretty sure sirens ‘re more like fish than humans, far as havin’ kids goes,” Twist explains, patting the bed to try to invite Cash to come join them. Cash doesn’t budge, so Twist shrugs. “Just lay their eggs somewhere an’ leave ‘em. That right, Cash?”

Cash nods. ‘mortals... keep them?' He only looks halfway sure of that.

“Yep, all the way till they’re grown, usually. Dragons, too, fer a while.” Twist’s face darkens momentarily, but he shakes it off. “Anyway, are ya sayin’ ya gotta get someone ta fertalize yer eggs ta get outta heat?”

‘don’t dragons?’ Cash asks, perplexed.

Twist shrugs. “Eh, kinda. Might hafta do it with another dragon, but I never tried with nobody else, neither, an’ I ain’t gonna start now. But nah, don’t gotta let any eggs catch unless I want ta.”

Cash frowns, looking very confused – possibly for different reasons than Pup, who is also very confused. ‘why would you want to?’

“Some people just do. Lotsa reasons, I guess, but it’s never seemed like a good idea fer me, so I don’t.”

“wait,” Pup asks in dawning horror, “are you saying that you have to… lay eggs? get pregnant? something like that? when you go into heat, even though you don’t want to?”

Cash nods, not looking any more upset than he has since accepting that he didn’t hurt Pup. Pup, though, is devastated.

“but that’s awful!”

Cash frowns in ongoing confusion. ‘why?’ he signs.

“because…” the words close off in Pup’s throat. He looks to Twist, hoping the dragon will understand.

“I think Puppy’s upset ‘cause fer his kind, b'fore the wolf 'n all - don' know what the wolf'd think about it, but anyway - fer them bein’ pregnant when ya don’ wanna be's a big deal. ‘S a bad thing. Right, Puppy?”

Pup nods.

Cash still doesn’t look any less confused, though. ‘why?’

“Because… I dunno. Just is?” Which is about what Pup should expect, really, relying on a dragon to explain mortal problems to a siren. Does Twist even understand the problem, himself, or does he just understand that Pup’s worried? If neither of them see a reason to be upset, maybe Pup shouldn't be, either. But neither of them wants kids, and Twist can avoid it but Cash can’t, so how can they not see that as a problem?

“do you… not care if you have kids?” Pup tries.

Cash shakes his skull, looking relieved to finally be understood.

“you really don’t care? not as in, you’ll put up with it because you can’t do anything about it, but as in you really don’t care at all?”

Cash shrugs. ‘just happens. doesn’t matter.’

“okay.” What else can Pup say? It seems inconceivable that having kids could just be such a non-event in someone’s life that they just don’t care – but then, they said it was like with fish. Do fish care about laying eggs? Probably not much. But Cash isn’t a fish! But he said he doesn’t care, and it’s not like Pup knows Cash better than Cash does, so… grrr. Sometimes figuring these guys out is a lost cause. “so what do we need to do now?”

Cash huffs in annoyance, signs sharp. ‘i find a siren. get fucked. come home.’ He shifts uncomfortably.

“Yeah, an’ from what I walked in on, I'd say ya better find one pretty soon.” Twist scowls. “Shit, sweetheart, what’d ya think you were doin’, gettin’ Pup ta fuck ya while yer in heat? You got any idea all the ways that coulda gone wrong?”

Cash looks away in shame, curling back up into the defensive ball that he’d just started to come out of.

“hey, no, it’s okay, nothing happened! i’m fine!” Pup rushes to reassure Cash, giving Twist a sideways glare that the dragon ignores. Way to go, Twist, going all overprotective dragon when Cash already feels like shit.

“Sure, darlin’, and I’m glad, but ya might not ‘a been. There’s a reason ya don’ ever see me around here when I’m in heat. It fucks with yer mind, and with a whole lotta instincts taking over, too, so ya can’t really count on remembrin’ who yer with or what ya can and can’t do with ‘em. Now, maybe sirens don’ get as rough when they fuck as dragons do, but I wouldn't wanna count on that, an' he still wasn’t lettin’ ya go, even if he didn’t mean no harm.”

“that’s not his fault,” Pup insists. “you just said heat fucks with your mind.”

“Yeah, which is why ya don’ let yerself end up in that position in the first place. How the hell’d that even happen?” Twist asks them both.

‘i-’ Cash starts, fumbling for the signs, before curling up with a whimper. ‘sorry’, he signs again, not even looking at Pup.

“hey.” Pup climbs off of Twist’s lap, ignoring Twist’s protests as he makes his way across the room to crouch down in front of Cash. “it’s okay.”

Cash shakes his skull.

“it is. look, i knew you weren’t acting right. i could have stopped us, too, but i didn’t, because…” Pup blushes, but makes himself keep going. Cash doesn’t need to carry around this much guilt. “because you were really, really hot like that.”

Twist snorts, crouching down beside them. “Bet he was. Wouldn’t mind seein’ it myself, but Cash, we really gotta getcha ta the ocean. You ‘n Pup wanna try somethin’ some other time when yer in heat, we c’n probly work that out – I’d feel a whole lot better about if ya did it together with someone who’d have a easier time stoppin’ ya if ya got carried away. But Pup looks pretty worn out, an’ I c’n see yer havin’ ta work pretty hard ta hold yerself together, so how ‘bout fer now I just give ya a ride ta the ocean?”

Cash sighs. At least he doesn’t look quite so freaked out anymore. ‘let’s get it over with.’

“Great! Let’s head out. Know when you’ll wanna be picked back up?”

Cash shrugs. ‘a few days. maybe. don't know.’

“I’ll just fly over the place I leave ya a few times a day, then. Wouldn’t wanna miss ya. How ‘bout that rock we used ta like?”

Cash shrugs again, a faint shiver starting with the movement. Heat related? No one seems concerned, so probably. He doesn’t look entirely with it anymore, either - kind of hazy, with his eyelight dilated wider than looks comfortable. Pup sure doesn’t want to send him out into the open ocean like that, but what’s he going to do, go find Cash another siren and bring him here? Sounds like a great way to get eaten.

“Hey, yer voice won’ be a problem, will it?” Twist asks.

Cash shakes his skull.

“i guess i’ll see you in a few days, then,” Pup says, trying to stay upbeat. Cash leans over and taps him with a surprisingly sweet kiss, then climbs to his feet and walks out of the room.

Twist rises to follow Cash. “Forgot his wrap, but I guess he won’t need it fer too long, anyway.”

“will you look out for him?” Pup asks. The whole thing still seems really wrong to him, but it’s not like he worries about Twist going into heat. Of course, Twist has his dragon friend, and the only way there would be any eggs involved is if Twist wanted there to be. Pup knows perfectly well that there are other things out in the ocean that can hurt Cash, too, especially when he’s not at his best… so he worries.

Twist, though, just smiles reassuringly. “Course, darlin’, but he won’t need much lookin’ after. Heat ain’t a bad thing, ya just gotta know what yer doin’ with it. I’ll have our grumpy siren back home in no time, good as new.”


	2. Chapter 2

Cash dangles from Twist’s arms, watching the ground fly by in an agitated haze. Does heat usually feel like this? Surely not. He’d remember if it did. Sure, it can annoyingly insistent if it gets ignored for too long, but not like this.

Not that he’s ever really tried putting it off before. Why would he? It’s nothing unpleasant. It doesn’t happen often enough to get in the way of anything. It doesn’t even take a lot of effort – just let instinct take over and go along for the ride. It wastes a little time, and the end is a little uncomfortable, but it’s nothing worth fighting against. And he didn’t fight it! He just… didn’t realize what was happening. Nothing ever feels quite right, living on the land, with so many people around doing such unfamiliar things. How was he supposed to know this _particular_ weird feeling was any different than the weird feelings he gets hit with on a daily basis in that place? It’s not like he’s ever paid that much attention to it before. Again, why would he? He just… does it. Just goes. Just… needs to find another siren, normally an unappealing prospect, until suddenly it isn’t, so he does, and they chase, and if the other one is good enough they’ll fuck. Simple as that. But now the ocean is miles away, and Cash is hundreds of feet off the ground, stuck counting on this stupid dragon who took him away from the ocean in the first place and pretends he wants to help but won’t even touch him right-

“Hey, cut that out.”

Cash hisses, but stops squirming. Stupid dragon would probably say fucking while flying is a bad idea. Why they couldn’t just _land_ first and _then_ fuck –

“Cash. Enough. If ya can’t hold still, I get it, but I’m not gonna be able ta get ya ta the ocean if ya keep rubbin’ against me like that. ‘S distracting."

Can’t get him to the ocean?! Fuck that. If this asshole thinks Cash is just going to let him fly him around in _circles_ when he _said_ he’d help he fucking said he would he said–

“Cut it _out.”_

Worthless piece of shit dragon, telling Cash to cut it out when he’s the one holding Cash close enough to fuck but won’t even let him. If he doesn’t want to fuck then why not just let go so Cash can find someone else, anyone else please because it… it… what even is this? Why is it like this shouldn’t be like this should be so easy just go and do it and be done but he _can’t –_

Twist snarls, yanking Cash’s teeth out of his arm. “Cash. Darlin’. I’m tryin’ ta be patient, but cut. it. out. Bite me again, and we’re landin’ this second, ocean or no ocean.”

What?! Lying fucking worthless dragon! Where does he get off, threatening to leave him in the middle of nowhere? Thinks he can treat him like this, just catch him but refuse to fuck him and then leave over one little bite? Cash will show him, he’ll–

“Shit! Fine, we’re going down.”

Cash snarls as the fucking dragon yanks his teeth out of his arm yet again, trying to go for another bite but this time the dragon won’t let go of his skull. They hit the ground hard, Twist landing on his feet but stumbling, giving Cash a chance to break away – but he doesn’t want to, wants to stay, just wants Twist to do it right, _needs-!_

Twist sets him down, backs up a step – no no no don’t _leave!_ Cash lunges – if Twist won’t catch him, Cash will catch _him_ – but the forbidding look on the dragon’s face stops him flat. Cash falls to his knees. What’s wrong with him? It’s not supposed to be like this.

“You ready ta talk, now?” Twist asks, sympathetic now that Cash has stopped biting him – Why the fuck did he bite Twist? That’s not how it… everything’s so jumbled up – but fuck that, Cash doesn’t need the stupid dragon's pity, he just needs… needs – Cash runs.

“Ocean’s that way.” Twist calls, pointing in the opposite direction from the way Cash is going.

Fuck! Cash turns, makes it a few feet, stumbles over a fallen branch. _Fuck!_ Fucking branch, fucking ground, fucking air everywhere, warping smells and sounds and sights and fucking _everything_ so no one can see where the fuck they’re going. He gets up, runs again, stumbles again but keeps his footing so he keeps going – go have to go too long waited too long fucking idiot waited too long can’t find it can’t need can’t can’t find can’t go – then he runs right into the fucking dragon.

“Cash.” The low rumble of the dragon’s voice is all wrong – full of power but much too deep and so quiet, fuck it’s all wrong everything’s wrong he needs to go has to go find – but the dragon wraps him up in arms so tight, it’s almost right, almost what he needs, close as it gets out in the middle of fucking _nowhere_ with no scents to follow and no one around for miles to hear him or smell him or _anything._ He scrambles up the dragon’s body, trying to get up high enough to cling without crushing Twist’s wings – another thing that’s wrong, there shouldn’t be wings, this isn’t right, nothing’s right have to go have to find – Twist hikes him up higher, helping him reach better, letting him wrap his legs around Twist’s hips – better that’s better that’s almost right almost just need to – “Hey.” The dragon stops him. Don’t stop why stop you fucking dick why’d you stop please don’t stop –

“Nope.” The dragon grabs his skull, holds it out of reach. “No biting.” Cash snaps at the hand near his jaw. “Do it again an’ I’ll drop ya.” Cash snarls, clinging tighter. Shithead won’t drop him Cash won’t let him don’t do it please don’t – don’t leave don’t stop why is he trying to leave please don’t leave please don’t –

“Oh, sweetheart,” the dragon sighs, brushing something from beneath Cash’s socket. “This is really fuckin’ you up, ain’t it?” He guides Cash’s skull down to his shoulder. “I mean it ‘bout not biting me.” Cash nods. Don’t bite the dragon. Don’t bite Twist. Twist is helping him. Twist isn’t right, but he’s trying, so maybe… he rubs himself against the dragon. It feels good – not enough, but better than nothing, so he tries again, and –

“That actually gonna help ya?” Twist rumbles into his acoustic meatus. Cash almost ignores him, but he ignored Pup, too – that part he remembers very clearly; not so much the ignoring as afterwards, realizing Pup was scared – oh fuck, he scared Pup! What’s wrong with him? What if he’d gotten like this with Pup?! If Twist hadn't be there and Cash wouldn't stop, what if what if what if - Why is this happening? Something’s wrong, really wrong, and he just can’t –

Wetness pools beneath his cheek. “Shhh,” the dragon soothes, rubbing his back. That’s not right, either, but it feels good, which is more than can be said about most things right now. Why is this _happening?_ It’s not supposed to be like this.

“D’ you normally get like this in heat?” Twist asks, soothing subsonic rumble vibrating through both of their ribcages but not hiding the worry in the dragon’s voice. Cash tries to think. Has it ever been like this before? Like what? Frantic and desperate and – no. It’s not like that. It’s just – just go find someone, and fuck, and go home, and then it’s done. That’s all it is. Maybe it’s a little irritating, if he was in the middle of doing something, like tracking one of those shiny merchant ships until they come close enough to the cliffs or the cold deep waters to call them to their doom, but even ignoring it just makes it more insistent until he listens and gets it over with, not anything like this. Nothing has ever been like this before – this pull, this desperation, too strong too much too sharp too empty too lost he’s lost can’t find them can’t smell them can’t call them doesn’t even know where he is – The dragon wraps him up tighter. Cash shakes his skull against Twist’s shoulder in negation. No, it’s not supposed to be like this at all.

“Can ya tell me what’s wrong?” Cash tries, but his voice is gone. How can he call them when his voice is gone? No one is coming and he can’t smell them and – “I’ll take that as a no. ‘S okay, sweetheart. We’ll get this figured out. Let’s try some yes ‘er no questions. Now, ya keep actin’ like ya wanna fuck me. Is that actually gonna help?” Cash wants to say yes. He’d give anything to be able to say yes, just to feel anything inside him, anything like it’s supposed to be… but no. It’s not going to work. He knows it’s not. Pup helped a little, but that was before he’d completely lost it. No, he needs another siren now; he knows that.

But where are they? He needs to get to the ocean, needs to find one, _needs_ to. He tries to squirm away, to find one, _any_ one, doesn’t matter how, just has to – but the dragon holds on. “Gonna run away again if I let ya go?”

Cash nods. Of course he’ll run; there’s no other way to get anywhere out in this terribly thin open air.

Twist sighs. “I hate ta keep ya if ya don’ wanna stay, but I don’ think runnin’s gonna help as much as ya think it will. You were mostly just goin’ in circles when I caught ya.”

He was _not!_

Twist must sense his indignation, because he chuckles, gently rubbing Cash’s back. “Hey, I don’ blame ya. Not like yer used ta getting around up here, and ya probly don’ even know where we landed. Don’t think I’d do all that well if I had ta walk all the way ta the ocean, either. Navigation’s a lot easier from the air.”

Cash buries his face in Twist’s shoulder. Okay, fine, so he doesn’t know where he is or where he’s going, but what’s he supposed to do about it? He needs needs _needs_ another siren, so much so that it’s suffocating, oil clogging his gills, burning through his veins – fuck fuck fuck he has to go, has to, why’s he still here? Stupid, stupid, he knows better, always knew better but never had to _think_ about it, heat’s fine but you just do it, just go, don’t stand around on land like an idiot waiting for it to - to what? Go away? It’s not going away, just getting worse, staying here is wrong it’s all so wrong got to go got to – needneedneed – it's all wrong all wrong all wrong can't stay here can't can't have to need to _need to need need need **need-**_

“Shit. Okay, sweetheart, okay, shh, ‘s gonna be okay. I gotcha. You jus’ keep holdin’ on, ‘m not gonna let ya go ‘cause I think yer jus’ gonna fall over at this point but I’ll getcha ta the ocean, don' worry. Still rather ya didn’t bite me, but I’m not gonna drop ya if ya do..." need need need need-

"Okay, we’re flyin’ now – gonna head right there – gonna set ya down by that rock we like unless ya tell me diff’rent ‘cause I’m not convinced yer gonna know where we are once we getcha in the water either..." need-

"Just a few more minutes, now – I c’n almost see the ocean from here, all shiny..." _need-_

"Okay, we’re over the water, jus’ a sec – I said wait just a second! Shit, darlin’, we’re a couple hundred feet in the air. I’m not droppin’ ya that far.”

But it’s so _close!_ The smell of the salt, the feel of it on the open breeze – the hints of fainter scents from below as they fly low enough to be hit by the spray splashing up from the rocks. They land, and Twist lets go. A quick scramble to the water and Cash is free, water flowing through his gills, filtering the symphony of smells and tastes he’d nearly forgotten the lack of on land. The panic and desperation and screaming of thwarted instincts fades as water washes through his bones. This is right. This is where he should be. He can think now, can breathe.

There’s no hint of anyone nearby, but that's as it should be. This place is his; he hasn’t been gone so long as to lose it – but he knows where others can be found. Away from the shore, past the shipwreck where he took the glittering band that currently adorns his eighth left rib, to the nearest waters that smell of someone else. Someone will be near enough to hear his call – but they won’t hear it, will they? Fuck fuck _fuck that fucking forest spirit!_ All this way and now no one will find him! What can he do? He’s not supposed to have to think for this. It shouldn’t be so hard - just go with the instincts, do what feels right and it all will be so easy but it’s not, it’s not, nothing is easy nothing is right nothing –

The taste of a scent makes him pause. Is that…? It is, it is, someone’s nearby, another siren – closer than he should be, a threat that needs dealt with – does he think he can take Cash’s place just because Cash has been gone?! The nerve! But his smell is so enticing, inviting Cash close… promising... Crack his ribs and eat his soul for the intrusion later. Now it’s time for the chase!

The new siren proves himself worth fucking, even if Cash’s exhaustion does make it easier than usual. The long chase wears enough of the edge off of both of their aggression that when they come together in a tangle of grasping claws and clinging limbs, no one earns anything worse than a scratch or a bruise, maybe a bite. They drift together near the ocean floor, heedless of the currents that swirl around them, far too well-entangled to be separated. If Cash is a little more desperate than the other might expect, clings more tightly, drives the other more deeply inside him than most would care to do, the other seems unbothered. If he’s surprised when Cash’s voice does not join his, not even when sea-green magic fills Cash's own, not even when Cash’s pulses in long-awaited relief, it changes nothing. The sea is filled with pheromones – the sharpness of one whose need was too long denied, the eagerness of one whose chase ended in this delightful prize – driving them both to completion again and again until the heat fades into a disjointed haze and clinging limbs release.

With little thought to what has just occurred except for a vague sense of satisfaction, the sirens let the currents pull them apart. They drift, far too worn out to mind the other’s presence, appeased instincts a balm soothing away any paranoia or greed that might otherwise make it impossible for two sirens to spend so long in one another’s presence. The other siren leaves first, turning away without a thought to Cash at his back – a death sentence, if Cash was inclined to carry through with defending his territory from this intruder, but no… later. Later he may care. Now, he does not.

Cash drifts for a while longer, exhausted and pleased, until the pleasant haze fades enough to remember how near he is to someone else’s territory, how ill-equipped he is to defend himself. So he gathers his strength and swims towards home, considering any number of possible dens and lairs that could be easily cleared of any new inhabitants who’ve dared to intrude while he’s been gone – before seeing the rock where the dragon waits. And he _is_ waiting, silhouetted against the setting sun, looking out over the water. Stupid dragon. What was he planning to do if Cash didn’t come back today? Was he just going to sleep on the rock? Stay up all night watching the water? Why? Why not go home, get a good night’s sleep with Pup and Edge and the sluttubus, and come back tomorrow to see if Cash has shown up yet, if he’s so insistent on bringing Cash home? Why wait?

‘stupid dragon.’ Whether Twist sees Cash’s signs or not, he grins at the sight of the siren scowling up at him from under the water. The stupid dragon reaches down a hand to help Cash climb out – something that should have gotten him unceremoniously yanked into the water, which Cash does consider doing, for a moment – but somehow the prospect sounds distinctly unappealing. Instead, Cash lets himself be pulled up onto the rock, and if the dragon holds on a little too long, he hardly cares.

He’s so fucking tired. Never, in any long-faded memory of any heat he’s ever been through, even of laying any of the eggs that followed, has he ever been this tired. It’s not… bad, exactly. Everything was fine once he got in the water, and that familiar pleasant haze of satisfaction still lingers over everything that came after, but as for getting here… well, he’s never doing that again. Next time anything starts to feel wrong, even if it's not clear why, he’s going back to the ocean. Never again is he going to let himself get pulled into a long battle against instincts that want him to do idiotic things like jump out of the sky to get to the ocean faster. How was that supposed to work?

‘never realized how stupid instincts are,’ he tells the dragon.

“Yeah, they got their uses, but they’re not too great at figurin’ out when what they’re tellin’ ya ta do ain’t a great idea,” Twist agrees, settling himself down on the rock. ‘I take it yours don’t really take ‘no’ fer an answer?”

‘not those ones.’ Cash lets himself collapse beside Twist. ‘never tried, though.’ He could almost let himself sleep here – which is ridiculous. He’s out in the open, completely exposed, tired enough that something could come along and eat him and he might not even wake up before finding himself in the thing’s stomach. He shouldn’t feel safe just because the dragon’s with him. Stupid dragon.

The sky tilts sideways. No, not the sky; that’s just Cash, tipping over even when he’s sitting down. He starts to flail, trying to catch himself before tumbling off the side of the rock, but Twist catches him first, steadying arm wrapping around him, pulling him against the dragon's side. “Doin’ alright, there, sweetheart?’

Cash should snarl, should push him away, maybe wipe that pity off the dragon’s face with a well-placed swipe of his claws – but somehow, he just doesn’t want to. Maybe it’s the lingering ‘don’t kill the guy who just fucked you’ instinct. Maybe it’s the hazy memory of the same arms that just kept him from cracking his skull on a rock embracing him through his panic, holding him together as desperate waves of need and not enough and go go go have to go can’t have to _can’t_ tore him apart. Whatever it is, the dragon just doesn’t read as a threat. Besides, if he didn’t kill Cash for biting him… oh fuck. Did he really? While flying?!

‘did i bite you?’ The congealed mana on Twist’s arm says yes.

“Yeah, a coupla times.” Twist doesn’t sound angry. Cash would be angry. Someone tries to take a chunk out of his arm, they’re not walking away from it. “Not yer finest moment, sweetheart, but I can’t really blame ya.”

Cash looks away. Why shouldn’t Twist blame him? His behavior was completely ridiculous. ‘heat doesn’t make me act like that.’

“I sure hope not. I’d hate ta think ‘a you goin’ through all that every time yer hormones say it’s time ta make some baby sirens. Got any idea what went wrong?”

Cash shakes his skull. ‘should have gone to back to the ocean sooner. i didn’t.’

“And by the time ya realized there was a problem, it was too hard ta do anythin’ about it?”

Cash nods. He’s so tired.

“Yeah, I get that.” Twist sounds worried.

Stupid dragon worries about the stupidest things. ‘i’m fine.’

“Glad ta hear it.” Stupid dragon probably is, too. That over-solicitousness is usually annoying, but right now Cash can’t say he minds it terribly much. It's getting him out of the biting thing, at least, and the fact that he's not going to admit how nice it is to have some help not falling over doesn't make it any less true. “How ‘bout we getcha home so you can get some sleep? I bet Pup’s been worryin’ all day. Probly has Edge worried, too.”

‘not rus.’

Twist snorts. “Yeah, maybe not so much. ‘Least not so anyone c’n see. Ya know he cares, though, deep down in his soul.”

Cash raises a brow-bone.

“Okay, fine, so maybe he’s not gonna lose any sleep if we stay out here another day or two. Pup ‘n Edge, though, they gotta be worried.”

‘fridge will be full of fish.’

“Wouldn’t surprise me.”

They’ll be delicious fish, too, along with a swath of delicacies more likely to be appreciated by the other members of the household. That alone is almost tempting enough to put up with the indignity of being carried by the dragon yet again. Add to that Pup’s worry – and the memory of how much he upset Pup this morning before realizing what was wrong – and going back becomes the only sensible option.

‘don’t drop me,’ Cash warns with a glare, begrudgingly letting the dragon help him to his feet.

“Never would,” Twist promises, and since he didn’t do it when Cash _bit_ him, it’s probably true. Stupid dragon.

It takes some awkward fumbling to find a carrying position that’s easy for Twist to fly with while still being tolerable to Cash’s pride, but they manage. Something in the siren finally settles as they launch into the air, the last vestiges of thwarted instinct releasing their hold. He lets the dragon carry him, not resisting or complaining as he’s cradled against that warm ribcage, lulled by the deep rumble within. He'll probably regret letting Twist get away with purring at him – next thing he knows he’ll be expected to pile in with everyone else in the house in one of those disturbingly inescapable tangles of limbs they like to form together in any convenient bed – but he’s tired, really tired, and it’s nice to finally be able to relax. Maybe they’ll never know exactly how this heat went so wrong, but it’s over now. The rest of the process can take care of itself. Now all that’s left to do is figure out how to make his earlier behavior up to Pup before they can put it all behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

Pup brushes dirt off his hands. There’s always something to be done in the garden – vegetables to be picked, leaves to be checked for signs of pests, the occasional weedy visitor that’s managed to sneak in from the surrounding forest. Maybe none of that needs to be done right this second, in the faint light of a lantern and a crescent moon, but it’s not like Pup would be able to focus on anything else anyway.

“food’s ready,” Rus announces, sauntering out of the house.

“again?” Edge has only been up for a couple of hours, and already both the fridge and Pup are nearly full to bursting – an uncomfortable feeling when Pup’s doing such a bad job of reminding himself that everything’s _fine,_ they said it’s fine, just a normal thing that happens. Cash wasn’t worried and Twist wouldn’t let anything happen and–

“puppy?” Rus rests a hand on his shoulder. Pup leans into the touch. It's helpful. Good to focus on. 

“i’m fine.” Taking a deep breath, Pup stands up to follow Rus inside.

“i wish you wouldn’t worry so much about that damn fish.”

Pup glares.

Rus raises his hands defensively. “okay, okay, so you’re worried about the fish. i’m not saying you can’t be, just that you don’t need to be. just relax. they’ll be home before you know it. unfortunately,” he mutters, tail flicking.

Pup sighs. If only it was that easy not to worry.

“hey, come on. it’s gonna be fine. you said he’s done the whole heat thing before, and he wasn’t worried about it.”

“yeah.” But Rus didn’t see how… out of it, Cash was. Pup isn’t going to try to explain, either, because that might involve explaining how he found out how messed up Cash was, and Rus misinterpreting what happened this morning can’t possibly lead anywhere good. It was bad enough telling Rus and a sleepy Edge where Cash and Twist had gone so early in the morning, with Rus already having a pretty good idea of what they’d been doing and being too busy being jealous and overprotective to listen to why Pup was so worried. Rus doesn’t need yet another reason to distrust the siren.

“come on, edge’s got these little sugary things cooling all over the counter. let’s go steal some so he can yell at us about it and maybe give himself a break before he starts running out of ingredients.”

“okay.” There’s no point in waiting outside, pretending to be gardening while watching the sky. They might not even come back tonight. They probably won’t, if Cash’s estimate was anywhere near accurate. Might as well wait inside and keep each other company.

“ooh, maybe we can even be naughty enough to earn a spanking! i don’t know about you, but i could really go for a good–”

Pup shakes his skull.

“no?”

Pup shakes his skull again. A distraction would be good, but that’s too distracting.

Rus sighs. “okay, then. fine. we’ll just steal some sugary things in a completely non-sexy, unfun way–”

“you two can,” Pup offers.

“and leave you worrying about the fish all by yourself? no.” Rus scowls, opening the door. “besides, with the way edge’s going, he’d probably be as distracted as you are. can’t believe you two are so worked up about–”

“Here,” Edge growls, popping what must be one of the ‘sugary things’ into Rus’s open mouth. He hands one to Pup with more decorum. “What do you think?”

“mm hm mmm,” Rus says, giving a thumbs up while trying to chew.

Pup nods, taking a bite of his. They’re delicious, but not exactly bite-sized.

Nodding in satisfaction, Edge turns back towards the kitchen.

“hey, babe?” Rus asks, managing to swallow enough food to speak, a few crumbs stuck in his teeth. They both follow Edge into the kitchen, where every surface is covered in baked goods or soon-to-be-baked goods.

“I do hope you don’t think I’ll find you attractive like that.”

“no. i mean, wait, no, of course you find me attractive, but that wasn’t a come-on.”

“Then what was it?”

“nothing.” Rus looks around the room, then wisely chooses a wall to lean against instead of risking disturbing whatever recipe is in progress on the table. “i just thought maybe you’d like to take a break?”

“From baking? When have I ever needed a break from baking?”

“i don’t know! you just seem kind of worried.”

“I wouldn’t call it worried.”

“sure looks like it to me. you and pup both. you’re acting like… i don’t know, like…”

“Like a member of our household may be unwell, and we have no idea what’s happening to him or when he might return?”

“he’s not-!” Glancing between Edge and Pup, Rus changes course. “look, it’s not like he’s sick. pup said he’s in heat, right?”

Pup nods.

“and you said he claims that’s a normal thing that happens to sirens sometimes, so what’s the big deal?”

Edge crosses his arms. “Being ‘in heat’ sounds like something that could, indeed, be a ‘big deal’.”

“well, yeah, but… look, we don’t even know what that means for sirens. there’s no point in worrying until he can get back here and explain it himself.”

“but…” There are a million things Pup could say to that, things about Cash’s disorientation and uncharacteristic behavior and all that talk about _eggs_ , but the words get stuck in his throat. ‘that’s just the problem,’ he signs instead. ‘we don’t know anything about it. that’s why i’m worried.’

Rus sighs. “okay, i get it. you’re both worried–”

“I’m not _worried,”_ Edge insists.

“really, precious?” Rus waves at the counters covered in food, opening the fridge to poke at a big bowl of marinating fish for good measure.

Edge swats him away from the fish and closes the door. “It’s best to be prepared for any eventuality.”

“like twist bringing home a whole army of sugar-obsessed sirens?” Rus freezes. “wait, you don’t think twist might _actually_ bring home more sirens, do you?” He turns to Pup in horror. “please don’t tell me twist was planning to deal with Cash's heat problem by turning our swimming pool into one big siren orgy. because i’ve put up with a lot since he’s taken over our lives, but that’s taking it too far.”

Pup shakes his skull, barely holding back a smile. In an alternate universe where that wouldn’t end up with them all drowned at the bottom of the pool, that’s exactly the kind of plan Twist might come up with, assuming he found some more sirens willing to be kidnapped by a dragon. So a _very_ alternate universe, then, given how long it took Cash to decide he hadn’t been kidnapped.

“that’s a relief. and i _think_ we’ve finally got it through that thick skull that going behind our backs to do things in secret only causes problems, so he wouldn’t do it without telling anyone, right?”

Edge actually starts looking concerned at that possibility, too.

“no,” Pup says. “that wasn’t their plan.” If anything, it’s Pup who’s not telling them things, especially egg-related things, but what’s he supposed to tell them when he doesn’t even understand it himself? He’s just going to mess it up if he tries to explain it. But no, Twist isn't keeping any secrets.

“right, because twist always sticks to the plan. fuck, maybe we should go find them. did twist say anything about where they went? anything more specific than 'the ocean'?”

“Oh, so now you’re worried?” Edge asks sardonically.

“about a possible siren orgy in our yard? yeah, i’m worried. pup?”

Pup shrugs. Even if he did know where they went, how does Rus expect to get there? And what does he think he’d do about it if Twist had somehow kidnapped a bunch of sirens? “he didn’t say.”

“of course he didn’t. damn dragon never thinks things through.”

“It’s highly unlikely that Twist is collecting a ‘siren orgy’ for Cash,” Edge says with a roll of his eyelights, collecting more ingredients from the pantry.

“yeah, yeah, i know. i still don’t trust him to think things through when it comes to that damn siren, though. he never does. what if something goes wrong?”

“Then Twist, the _dragon,_ can handle it, at least well enough to come back here and let us take care of him.”

“he trusts cash way too damn much, and you know it. he’ll let his guard down–”

“good thing cash isn’t trying to hurt anyone, then,” Pup snaps. He cringes at Rus's look of surprised hurt, but stubbornly refuses to look away. “look, cash–” the words won’t come. Fuck! Fine, sign it. ‘i’m worried about cash. that something could happen to him. not that he’d hurt someone else.’

“i… pup…” Rus looks away. “i’m sorry, puppy. i know you’re worried. you too, edge. don’t know _why…”_ Edge starts to answer, but Rus holds up a hand. “but i get that you’re worried. i’m sorry. i’ll stop being an ass, at least until our dragon brings the fish home safe. then he’s fair game, got it?”

“Your restraint is appreciated,” Edge drawls sardonically, cutting the vegetables arrayed across the table into neat little slices. Pup is just about to grab another of the sugar things, when a scrabbling sound comes from the front of the house. The door!

“i’ll get it!” Narrowly avoiding knocking Rus into Edge and his vegetable table thanks to Rus’s well-timed teleport, Pup scrambles to the front door.

“Pup! Will you at least wait until we know who’s on the other side?!”

Ignoring Edge’s call, Pup flings open the door, only to gape in surprise.

“Heya, sweetheart! How ya doin’? Thanks fer openin’ the door fer us. He’s kinda a handful.” Twist beams from Pup to the sleeping siren cradled in his arms, a delighted purr rumbling up from his ribcage.

“is he okay?” Twist looks way too pleased with himself for Cash to be hurt, but why else would he let Twist get away with cuddling him like a teddy bear?

Smiling down at the siren fondly, Twist nods. “Yeah, just worn out. Took a little longer ta get there than I planned on ‘cause of a coupla distractions along the way. Think it fucked him up a little more ‘n he expected, so he got kinda..." Twist shrugs, snuggling Cash closer when the movement makes him slip. "Made it there alright, though, an' here we are, good as new.”

“great,” Rus says, appearing in front of them, “see, the siren’s fine, twist is fine, everything’s fine. nothing to worry about. now how about you go drop him in the water to finish his little nap and come join us for… whatever meal we’re on by now.”

A single finger makes Cash’s opinion on the subject clear, even as he blinks groggily awake.

“Mornin’, sweetheart!” Twist chirps happily. Cash instantly scrambles away from him, but doesn’t resist when Twist helps him find his feet. “Have a good nap?”

Twist gets an even more emphatic ‘fuck you’ for that, but somehow there’s not much heat in it.

“Are you hungry?” Edge asks. “I have several options waiting in the refrigerator. I don’t believe you’ve had any of them before, so I thought you might like to sample each and decide which you prefer.”

“What’d I tell ya, sweetheart?” Twist asks Cash with a grin. “Fridge full ‘a fish.”

“you should see the rest of the kitchen,” Pup adds, tension seeping away as Cash looks towards the kitchen with casual interest. He really does seem okay, at least from what Pup can see.

“More fish?” Twist asks.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Edge scoffs. “I’m hardly going to leave raw fish sitting out on the counter all day.”

Twist shrugs. “Most of us 've probly eaten worse.”

“Forgive me for not wanting my cooking to be classed with the sorts of things you might scavenge from… Rus?”

Pup’s soul stutters at the alarm in Edge’s voice. He looks at Rus. He shivers.

Rare is the occasion when Rus looks anything like the ‘demon’ part of ‘sex demon’, but the look on his face and the red glint in his eyes as they lock onto a spot of gold on Twist’s arm comes pretty close. “hey, twisted?”

“Yeah?” Twist asks, uncertain.

“what happened to your arm?”

“Huh?” Twist looks up and down both arms, finally noticing the bit of mana that caught Rus’s attention. “Oh, that. Sorry, sweetheart, thought I’d gotten that all cleaned off. Don’ think it’s still bleedin’ bad enough ta get on the floor.”

“and why, exactly, would you be bleeding?”

It would be easy to miss the way Twist’s eyelight darts briefly to Cash, but Rus doesn’t.

“you!” Rus grabs Cash by the arms, pulling him away from Twist before anyone can react. “what the fuck is wrong with you? he was just trying to help you, like he has every single fucking day since he brought you here, which he did to _save your life,_ in case you forgot, and this how you repay him? still?”

Every monster in the room is frozen in shock. Fortunately, Twist recovers before Cash does, getting between the two of them just as Cash’s face twists into a snarl.

“Hey, hey, hey, enough ‘a that. Let’s just all settle down. We’ve all had a long day.”

“twist! you can’t just ignore–”

“Not ignorin’ a thing, sweetheart, but ya gotta un’erstand–”

“what, twist? what is it that i’ve got to understand? because so far all i’ve managed to understand is that every time it starts to seem like that damn siren might be able to function like a halfway civilized monster, he does something like this.”

“I think yer makin’ a lotta assumptions, there, darlin'. If you’d just listen fer a second–”

“i _have_ listened! i’ve listened, and i haven’t insisted you kick him out in a long damn time, and i’ve put up with these two worrying about _him_ all day when i know perfectly well that more happened this morning with pup than either of you are telling me, and even if i don’t know exactly what happened i know it was because of him.”

‘it wasn’t anything like that,’ Pup signs, not even trying for words he knows aren’t going to come, but Rus isn’t even looking at him because he’s too busy arguing with Twist, and Twist and Edge are focused on Rus. The only one paying any attention to Pup is Cash, who starts to sign something back, but instead drops his hands and slips out the door.

Pup hesitates, but everyone's too busy arguing to listen to him, and the stress of them fighting is making it really hard to keep his own composure after the stress of the day. Besides, the person he really wants to talk to right now is probably already hiding at the bottom of the swimming pool. With one last look between Twist and Rus - “Did as good as he could with somethin’ fuckin’ his skull all ta hell!" - Pup follows Cash outside.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear from you! Comments make me very happy and let me know that I'm not sending this story out into the void. This story especially is a bit different from my usual, so readers' reactions have a strong say in whether I should keep posting or keep all this nonsense to myself.
> 
> Or just come ramble to me on tumblr at https://rainoverthemountains.tumblr.com/. I'll happily ramble back.


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